Policy Statement
 

POLICIES FOR 4-H/FFA LAND JUDGING IN FLORIDA – Revised June 2006

PREFACE

The Office of Agricultural Water Policy, working in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA; Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors; the Florida FFA Association, Inc.; and the 4-H and Soil and Water Science Departments, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, will be responsible for providing the leadership and training for conducting land judging schools and judging contests in Florida.

Leadership and coordination for these activities will be provided by:

(a) County Extension staff in cooperation with Soil and Water Conservation District governing bodies at the local level.

(b) The State Land Judging Committee at the state level. The State Land Judging Committee comprises representatives from the:

1. Office of Agricultural Water Policy, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

2. Association of Florida Conservation Districts

3. Soil and Water Conservation Council, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

4. Florida FFA Association, Inc.

5. Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA

6. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida

7. Florida Chapter, Soil and Water Conservation Society

Objectives of land judging contests are to help 4-H and FFA members:

1. Develop leadership talents and to assist in achieving the broad objectives of character and effective citizenship.

2. Develop an appreciation for the capability of the land and the contribution it makes to the individual's level of living.

3. Improve personal knowledge and skills as well as family appreciation for the importance of conserving natural resources.

 

HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION

General Eligibility

1. 4-H -- 4-H members who are between 14-18 years of age prior to September 1 of the current program year and who are not high school graduates. Participants must have been 4-H members for at least 30 days prior to the contest.

2. FFA -- Any active, in-school FFA member who is enrolled in Agribusiness Education or who has taken all the Agribusiness Education offered in that school. An FFA member must be at least 14 years old (or scheduled to turn 14 before the date of the current year's National Land, Pasture & Range Judging Contest, to be held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in April or May).

3. Where clubs or chapters in Monroe or Pinellas County desire to participate in the land judging activity, special arrangements for local contests can be made to qualify such teams for participation the State Land Judging Contest.

4. Only one 4-H and one FFA team from each county will be eligible to compete in the high school division of the state contest; all team members must be certified as eligible to compete by the appropriate FFA Advisor or 4-H Coordinator. FFA team members must be bona fide members of the FFA Chapter that won at the local level, thus earning the right to participate in the state event.

5. No 4-H or FFA member who has been on a state winning (first place) team, who has been to the National Contest, or who has substituted on a team that went to the National Contest, will be eligible for competition in future land judging contests.

6. All high school land judging contests will be conducted in two divisions. 4-H members will be eligible to compete in the 4-H division. FFA chapter members will be eligible to compete in the FFA division.

7. Four contestants constitute a team. Scores of the high three team members make the team score. It is permissible to enter a team of only three members. If fewer than three members of a team that has won at the local level (and thus has been certified properly to compete in the State Contest) are able to attend the State Contest, they may enter and compete in the individual competition at the State Contest.

Awards and Expenses

1. The expenses of county and chapter teams to attend the state contest must be arranged locally.

2. State winning 4-H and FFA high school teams will be eligible to compete in the National Land & Range Judging Contest held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, each year during the month of April or May. One or more of the high scoring 4-H county and FFA chapter teams in the state contest will be certified as eligible to represent the state in the National Contest, in accordance with the guidelines given in Item 3 below. Certification forms must be filled in by the coaches of teams eligible to go to National and sent to the Florida 4-H State Office or the Florida FFA Association State Office, as appropriate, within seven days following the State Contest.

3. If 1 to 5 teams participate in a High School Division (FFA or 4-H) at the State Land Judging Contest in a given year, then the 1 (one) high FFA team and/or the 1 (one) high 4-H team, as applicable in a given Division, will be eligible to go to the National Land Judging Contest;

If 6 to 10 teams participate in a High School Division (FFA or 4-H) at the State Land Judging Contest in a given year, then the 2 (two) highest FFA teams and/or the 2 (two) highest 4-H teams, as applicable in a given Division, will be eligible to go to the National Land Judging Contest;

If 11 or more teams participate in a High School Division (FFA or 4-H) at the State Contest, then the 5 (five) highest FFA teams and the 5 (five) highest 4-H teams, as applicable in a given Division, will be eligible to go to the National Contest;

The Trip Awards funded by and through the Florida FFA and 4-H Foundations will go only to the high team in each Division;

If only one or two teams in a given Division are eligible to go to National based on the above scheme, and in the event that an eligible team is unable to represent the state in the National Contest, an alternate (2nd or 3rd through 5th place) team that can attend will be certified; and

If five teams in a given Division are eligible to go to National based on the above scheme, only those five teams will be certified forward; there will be no "bumping" to the 6th high team, should one or more of the eligible teams be unable to go to the National Contest.

4. A plaque will be presented to each of the top five high scoring teams, to each high scoring team member, and to the high scoring individual in each high school division of the state contest. Rosettes will be presented to members of teams two through five and to the second through fifth high scoring individuals in each division. This represents a total of 20 plaques and 40 rosettes.

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION

General Eligibility

1. 4-H -- 4-H members who are between 8-13 years of age prior to September 1 of the current program year and who are not high school graduates. Participants must have been 4-H members for at least 30 days prior to the contest.

2. FFA -- Any active, in-school FFA member in Sixth, Seventh, or Eighth Grade.

3. Where clubs or chapters in Monroe or Pinellas County desire to participate in the land judging activity, special arrangements for local contests can be made to qualify such teams for participation the State Land Judging Contest.

4. Only one 4-H and one FFA team from each county will be eligible to compete in the middle school division of the state contest; all team members must be certified as eligible to compete by the appropriate FFA Advisor or 4-H Coordinator. FFA team members must be bona fide members of the FFA Chapter that won at the local level, thus earning the right to participate in the state event.

5. A 4-H or FFA member who has been on a state winning middle school team still will be eligible for competition in future land judging contests.

6. All middle school land judging contests will be conducted in two divisions. 4-H members will be eligible to compete in the 4-H division. FFA chapter members will be eligible to compete in the FFA division.

7. Four contestants constitute a team. Scores of the high three team members make the team score. It is permissible to enter a team of only three members. If fewer than three members of a team that has won at the local level (and thus has been certified properly to compete in the State Contest) are able to attend the State Contest, they may enter and compete in the individual competition at the State Contest.

Awards and Expenses

1. The expenses of county and chapter middle school teams to attend the state contest must be arranged locally.

2. The state winning 4-H and FFA teams will not be eligible to compete in the National Land, Pasture & Range Judging Contest.

3. A plaque will be presented to each of the top five high scoring teams and to the high scoring individual in each division of the middle school state contest. Rosettes will be presented to members of the high scoring team in each division. This represents a total of 12 plaques and 8 rosettes.

 

GENERAL

1. Local sponsoring organizations are encouraged to schedule local-level events well ahead of the date established for the state event.